**** Recommended Dunes Summer Theater’s production of The Bridges of Madison County, is a beautiful show, a love story that will move you to tears. Don’t that worry you though, it’s not at all a cloyingly schmaltzy chick-flick kind of musical. I can’t quite figure out why it wasn’t more successful on Broadway (only 137 performances). The score is magnificent, with elements of the blues, folk, twangy bluegrass, country, pop and opera. The talented cast, particularly the leads, Kristianna Dilworth and Max DeTogne, does full justice to the amazing score. 4 Spotlights
By the way, I enjoyed Marsha Norman’s book, The Bridges of Madison County, but I thought the movie was a waste of time. Merle Streep and Clint Eastwood are Hollywood icons, but they just didn’t work as Francesca and Robert. She was too blonde; he was too old.
Bud Johnson (Gabriel Reitemeier) brought his Italian bride, Francesca (Dilworth), home to his Iowa farm after the war. She cooked, kept the house and raised their children, Michael (Jackson Mikkelsen) and Carolyn (Emma Radke) while he worked the farm.
Francesca almost never had time to herself, but this particular weekend, Bud is taking the kids – and Carolyn’s prize steer – to the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis where he has a good chance at winning ‘Steer of the Year’. By the way, Michael, who doesn’t want any part of farming, and Carolyn, the family snitch, can’t be in the same space without arguing and picking at each other.
Francesca is planning on relaxing all weekend. As she’s enjoying a cup of coffee and a phone chat with her neighbor, Marge (Kim Lampl), a car pulls into her driveway. A handsome man, Robert Kincaid (DeTogne), who says he’s a photographer for National Geographic, asks directions. He says he’s in town to take pictures of Madison County’s famous covered bridges. He’s found six of them, but he can’t find the Roseman Bridge. Rather than give him directions, Francesca offers to go with him.
When they return, Francesca invites Robert in for a glass of iced tea. When she learns that he’s been to Naples, she asks to see his pictures, but he didn’t have them with him. Realizing that the restaurant in town is closed, she offers to make soup for him using a recipe she brought from Naples and his choice of home-grown vegetables. Next door, Marge and Charlie (Jim Lampl) get out the binoculars to check out what’s happening.
When he returns to the bridge in the morning to shoot his pictures, she shows up. He explains what makes a good picture and they grow closer. When he gives her the copy of National Geographic with his pictures of Naples, she is overcome and tells him about her life there.
One of the best lines in the musical comes when Francesca says “… the god of Iowa housewives brought you to me.” Even though it’s just been a weekend, they fall deeply in love, but in the end, she couldn’t leave her children for him.
Also appearing in this production, Danielle Kerr as Marian, Chiara and the State Fair Singer with Tommy O’Brien and Kate Turner as the ensemble.
The Bridges of Madison County is directed by Steve Scott, Artistic Director at DST with music direction by Robert Flasch and choreography by Emmie Reigel.
In an interesting touch, the orchestra onstage, with set pieces like kitchen appliances, furniture, etc. in front of them. The orchestra includes Robert Flasch (Conductor/Piano), Cooper Gregar-Skillman (Bass), Eva Woolf (Cello), Joe Villani (Guitar 1), Ben Tufts (Guitar 2), Jared Collier (Percussion), Bethany Borgo and Anna Anderson (Violin/Viola).
The Bridges of Madison County runs through August 11th at Dunes Summer Theatre, 288 Shady Oaks Drive, Michigan City. Parking is free. Running time is approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes with an intermission. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm, Sunday at 2:00 pm. Please note, there will not be a Saturday performance on the final weekend, instead there will be a performance on Thursday, August 8th. Tickets are $35, $30 for seniors. FYI www.dunesarts.org/product/bridges-of-madison-county-july-26th-august-11th/156